1347terminator
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Commander
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{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Title Reference:"},{"insert":" \n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"The One That Got Away"},{"insert":" by Katy Perry\n\nThe engine of this deck runs incredibly well. You will vomit lands from yourself and your opponents into play. The deck has always been incredibly consistent at that. However, the first draft struggled to convert that early game velocity into a win. I felt inclined to rework the deck with stronger payoffs to prevent it from consistently stalling out after presenting itself as the threat. \n\nCoincidentally, graveyard decks are very complicated and give you many branching paths to consider. Predictably, this led to long turns. Combined we had a deck that grinded out long turns for a lot of value, stole people's lands, and couldn’t even get a win from said value easily.\n\nit was honestly kind of a nightmare. But I loved the backbone of the strategy and it showed a lot of promise. The sacrifice->lands engine was strong, it just needed better payoffs and ways to efficiently close out a game we're clearly in control of.\n\nAs such, I’m writing a primer to explicitly break down the central strategies as I tweak the deck.\n\nMain Themes:"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Landfall/Ramp"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The main payoff Smeagol offers is our opponent’s lands. Your graveyard and sacrifice shenanigans directly pay you off with lands. They accelerate your mana advantage and trigger our landfall abilities for all kinds of tangible advantages like token fodder and even more ramp. Lands are our bread and butter. You'll rarely be choked for mana and options.\n\nTokens/Aristocrats"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"I was originally turned away from this aspect of the deck. I thought that it would be cooler if the deck was focused on sacrificing and recurring my actual creatures. However, in doing so I neglected two key details:\nTokens make excellent fodder to sacrifice for other resources like mana and cards. Especially when your deck wants to see one of your own creatures die every single turn."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"A token army can win the game if left unanswered. I originally thought this method of victory might be boring and avoided it as such, but it's better than being unable to close out a game. Plus, it actually strengthens the diversity of play patterns in the deck by providing additional paths to victory via combat damage and aristocrat drain effects."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nGraveyard/Reanimation"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This is probably the axis of the deck that has remained the most intact from conception to the current build. The graveyard is really just like a second hand in Smeagol. You also have the agency to mill cards from whichever opponent you think might have the biggest bombs for you to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reanimate"}},{"insert":" . This is of course a double edged sword depending on how much they like to play around in their own graveyard. But the upsides are worth to risks.\n\nWho to Mill?"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"DO NOT FEED THE OPPOSING GRAVEYARD DECK. Sure they can probably also reanimate stuff out of opponents graveyards too. Plus getting more black mana for yourself is tempting, but their best threats will be in their own deck. Enabling them is not a good idea.\n\nOtherwise, you can prioritize the biggest, stompiest creature deck at the table and make their threats your own. Taking the green player's threats and value engines are great. I may not play a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beast Whisperer"}},{"insert":", but I'm more than happy to reanimate one to my side of the field.\n\nBlue mages can also provide some nice value creatures that draw cards. White and red mages on the other hand don't usually offer as rich of a selection of targets.\n\nCombos and Synergies"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sméagol, Helpful Guide"}},{"insert":" is essential to enable the unique combos in this deck. Turning any \"The Ring Tempts You\" effect into mill and lands has the potential for you to wind up with all of your opponents lands in play on your battlefield while their library is in their graveyard. They're fun, but be warned that they require four or more pieces to pull off.\n\nCombo #1:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sméagol, Helpful Guide"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dúnedain Rangers"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mole Man, Moloid Master"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Viscera Seer"}},{"insert":" \nSmeagol and Dunedain Rangers are essential, but Mole Man could be replaced with any token producer that triggers on landfall. Likewise Viscera Seer could be substituted with any freely repeatable sacrifice outlet.\nMake sure that you don't have a ring-bearer. All necessary combo pieces are on the board."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Play a land or crack a fetchland to trigger landfall."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Make the token first with Mole man and then let Dunedain Rangers' tempt trigger go off. Choose the token as your ring bearer."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Smeagol will trigger. Hold priority and sacrifice the token that is your ring bearer."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"One of your opponents will now mill and you'll get a land, resetting the state to step two."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This will repeat until you deck one of your opponents. However, unless the last card of their deck is a land you'll need another land drop or a fetchland to restart the combo. Alternatively you'll need to switch to a different opponent when one gets close to decking to maximize the mill and lands off your one guaranteed activation.\n\nCombo #2:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sméagol, Helpful Guide"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Springheart Nantuko"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nazgûl"}},{"insert":" + 2x"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lotus Cobra"}},{"insert":" effects\nSmeagol needs to be in play and Springheart Nantuko must be bestowed upon a Nazgul. Technically any ETB Tempt creature could work, but I don't see the point in running "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Uruk-hai Berserker"}},{"insert":" if I don't feel like I can justify a full playset of Nazgul. Lastly, you need a way to produce a green and a colorless for each landfall to feed into the Sringheart Nantuko. But even without it you can \"just\" get another Nazgul, some milled cards, and another stolen land for the price of rampant growth over and over again.\nHave Smeagol out, a Springheart Nantuko bestowed on a Naxgul, and two ways to produce mana on landfall."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Trigger landfall by playing a land or having the ring tempt you."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Produce two mana."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Pay for Springheart Nantuko's trigger to make a Nazgul copy."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The ring tempts you and we're back to step two."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"We have the same problem here as the first combo. Be careful when you get to the end of someone's deck. Make sure to kill the scariest opponent first and have other ways to manually restart the combo when necessary.\n\nSynergy #1:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Springheart Nantuko"}},{"insert":" + [[Almost any card in the deck]]\nSpringheart Nantuko is my favorite card in the deck bar none. The strategies it enables are crazy, and the floor is a 2 mana creature token generator. It can even dodge removal and boardwipes because of bestow and continue generating value afterwards. Below are some of my favorite creatures to bestow it on.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Icetill Explorer"}},{"insert":": Icetill gets out of hand very quickly. Making a copy of it lets you get another land you can play this turn which in turn pays for half of the Nantuko trigger. And the more Icetills you make the more you mill with each land drop which enables further land drops. You acutally have to be careful not to mill yourself out!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"If you've milled most of your deck and need something from the graveyard you can play the land side of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary"}},{"insert":" and then bounce it to hand with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Golgari Rot Farm"}},{"insert":"."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tireless Provisioner"}},{"insert":": Very quickly starts to pay for the trigger to make another one and from there you just start to bank insane amounts of treasure and eventually food to help with survivability."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"}]}
Commander
Sméagol, Helpful Guide
At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died under your control this turn, the Ring tempts you.
Whenever the Ring tempts you, target opponent reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a land card. Put that card onto the battlefield tapped under your control and the rest into their graveyard.
Whenever the Ring tempts you, target opponent reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a land card. Put that card onto the battlefield tapped under your control and the rest into their graveyard.
Legendary Creature - Horror Halfling

Commander
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Drain
Drain
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Draw
Liliana, Dreadhorde General
Whenever a creature you control dies, draw a card.
+1: Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
−4: Each player sacrifices two creatures of their choice.
−9: Each opponent chooses a permanent they control of each permanent type and sacrifices the rest.
+1: Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
−4: Each player sacrifices two creatures of their choice.
−9: Each opponent chooses a permanent they control of each permanent type and sacrifices the rest.
Legendary Planeswalker - Liliana

Pillage the Bog
Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is twice the number of lands you control. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Plot (You may pay and exile this card from your hand. Cast it as a sorcery on a later turn without paying its mana cost. Plot only as a sorcery.)
Plot (You may pay and exile this card from your hand. Cast it as a sorcery on a later turn without paying its mana cost. Plot only as a sorcery.)
Sorcery

The Gitrog Monster
Deathtouch
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice The Gitrog Monster unless you sacrifice a land.
You may play an additional land on each of your turns.
Whenever one or more land cards are put into your graveyard from anywhere, draw a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice The Gitrog Monster unless you sacrifice a land.
You may play an additional land on each of your turns.
Whenever one or more land cards are put into your graveyard from anywhere, draw a card.
Legendary Creature - Horror Frog

Turntimber Symbiosis
Look at the top seven cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield. If that card has mana value 3 or less, it enters with three additional +1/+1 counters on it. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Sorcery


Draw
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Land
Boseiju, Who Endures
: Add .
Channel — , Discard this card: Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or nonbasic land an opponent controls. That player may search their library for a land card with a basic land type, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. This ability costs less to activate for each legendary creature you control.
Channel — , Discard this card: Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or nonbasic land an opponent controls. That player may search their library for a land card with a basic land type, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. This ability costs less to activate for each legendary creature you control.
Legendary Land

Susur Secundi, Void Altar
This land enters tapped.
: Add .
Station (Tap another creature you control: Put charge counters equal to its power on this Planet. Station only as a sorcery.)
12+ | , , Pay 2 life, Sacrifice a creature: Draw cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power. Activate only as a sorcery.
: Add .
Station (Tap another creature you control: Put charge counters equal to its power on this Planet. Station only as a sorcery.)
12+ | , , Pay 2 life, Sacrifice a creature: Draw cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power. Activate only as a sorcery.
Land - Planet

Land
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Landfall
Mossborn Hydra
Trample (This creature can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)
This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, double the number of +1/+1 counters on this creature.
This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, double the number of +1/+1 counters on this creature.
Creature - Elemental Hydra

Springheart Nantuko
Bestow
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you may pay if this permanent is attached to a creature you control. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that creature. If you didn't create a token this way, create a 1/1 green Insect creature token.
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you may pay if this permanent is attached to a creature you control. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that creature. If you didn't create a token this way, create a 1/1 green Insect creature token.
Creature Enchantment - Monk Insect

Traveling Chocobo
You may look at the top card of your library any time.
You may play lands and cast Bird spells from the top of your library.
If a land or Bird you control entering the battlefield causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
You may play lands and cast Bird spells from the top of your library.
If a land or Bird you control entering the battlefield causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
Creature - Bird

Landfall
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Mass Disruption
Mass Disruption
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Mill
Mill
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Protection
Protection
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Ramp
Tireless Provisioner
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, create a Food token or a Treasure token. (Food is an artifact with ", , Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life." Treasure is an artifact with ", Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
Creature - Elf Scout

Ramp
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Recursion
Animate Dead
Enchant creature card in a graveyard
When this Aura enters, if it's on the battlefield, it loses "enchant creature card in a graveyard" and gains "enchant creature put onto the battlefield with this Aura." Return enchanted creature card to the battlefield under your control and attach this Aura to it. When this Aura leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it.
Enchanted creature gets -1/-0.
When this Aura enters, if it's on the battlefield, it loses "enchant creature card in a graveyard" and gains "enchant creature put onto the battlefield with this Aura." Return enchanted creature card to the battlefield under your control and attach this Aura to it. When this Aura leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it.
Enchanted creature gets -1/-0.
Enchantment - Aura

Exploration Broodship
Station (Tap another creature you control: Put charge counters equal to its power on this Spacecraft. Station only as a sorcery. It's an artifact creature at 8+.)
3+ | You may play an additional land on each of your turns.
8+ | Flying
Once during each of your turns, you may cast a permanent spell from your graveyard by sacrificing a land in addition to paying its other costs.
3+ | You may play an additional land on each of your turns.
8+ | Flying
Once during each of your turns, you may cast a permanent spell from your graveyard by sacrificing a land in addition to paying its other costs.
Artifact - Spacecraft

Meren of Clan Nel Toth
Whenever another creature you control dies, you get an experience counter.
At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in your graveyard. If that card's mana value is less than or equal to the number of experience counters you have, return it to the battlefield. Otherwise, put it into your hand.
At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in your graveyard. If that card's mana value is less than or equal to the number of experience counters you have, return it to the battlefield. Otherwise, put it into your hand.
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman

Six
Reach
Whenever Six attacks, mill three cards. You may put a land card from among them into your hand.
During your turn, nonland permanent cards in your graveyard have retrace. (You may cast permanent cards from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying their other costs.)
Whenever Six attacks, mill three cards. You may put a land card from among them into your hand.
During your turn, nonland permanent cards in your graveyard have retrace. (You may cast permanent cards from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying their other costs.)
Legendary Creature - Treefolk

Recursion
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Removal
Sheoldred
Menace
When Sheoldred enters, each opponent sacrifices a nontoken creature or planeswalker of their choice.
: Exile Sheoldred, then return it to the battlefield transformed under its owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery and only if an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard.
When Sheoldred enters, each opponent sacrifices a nontoken creature or planeswalker of their choice.
: Exile Sheoldred, then return it to the battlefield transformed under its owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery and only if an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard.
Legendary Creature - Praetor Phyrexian


Will of the Abzan
Choose one. If you control a commander as you cast this spell, you may choose both instead.
• Any number of target opponents each sacrifice a creature with the greatest power among creatures that player controls and lose 3 life.
• Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Any number of target opponents each sacrifice a creature with the greatest power among creatures that player controls and lose 3 life.
• Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Sorcery

Removal
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Sac Outlet
Dina, Essence Brewer
Whenever you sacrifice a creature, draw a card. This ability triggers only once each turn.
, , Sacrifice another creature: You gain X life and put X +1/+1 counters on target creature you control, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
, , Sacrifice another creature: You gain X life and put X +1/+1 counters on target creature you control, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
Legendary Creature - Druid Dryad

Tom, Bert, and William
, Sacrifice another creature: Draw cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power, then discard a card.
When Tom, Bert, and William die, if they were a creature, return them to the battlefield. They're an artifact. (They're no longer a creature.)
When Tom, Bert, and William die, if they were a creature, return them to the battlefield. They're an artifact. (They're no longer a creature.)
Legendary Creature - Troll

Sac Outlet
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Tempt
Tempt
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Tokens
Tokens
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Sideboard
Sideboard
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Maybeboard
Bloodchief Ascension
At the beginning of each end step, if an opponent lost 2 or more life this turn, you may put a quest counter on this enchantment. (Damage causes loss of life.)
Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, if this enchantment has three or more quest counters on it, you may have that player lose 2 life. If you do, you gain 2 life.
Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, if this enchantment has three or more quest counters on it, you may have that player lose 2 life. If you do, you gain 2 life.
Enchantment

Breach the Multiverse
Each player mills ten cards. For each player, choose a creature or planeswalker card in that player's graveyard. Put those cards onto the battlefield under your control. Then each creature you control becomes a Phyrexian in addition to its other types.
Sorcery

Greensleeves, Maro-Sorcerer
Protection from planeswalkers and from Wizards
Greensleeves's power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, create a 3/3 green Badger creature token.
Greensleeves's power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, create a 3/3 green Badger creature token.
Legendary Creature - Elemental Sorcerer

Stensian Sanguinist
Whenever you attack, target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn. Whenever that creature deals combat damage to a player this combat, this creature becomes prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.)
Creature - Vampire Cleric

Syr Konrad, the Grim
Whenever another creature dies, or a creature card is put into a graveyard from anywhere other than the battlefield, or a creature card leaves your graveyard, Syr Konrad deals 1 damage to each opponent.
: Each player mills a card. (They each put the top card of their library into their graveyard.)
: Each player mills a card. (They each put the top card of their library into their graveyard.)
Legendary Creature - Human Knight

The One Ring
Indestructible
When The One Ring enters, if you cast it, you gain protection from everything until your next turn.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each burden counter on The One Ring.
: Put a burden counter on The One Ring, then draw a card for each burden counter on The One Ring.
When The One Ring enters, if you cast it, you gain protection from everything until your next turn.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each burden counter on The One Ring.
: Put a burden counter on The One Ring, then draw a card for each burden counter on The One Ring.
Legendary Artifact

The Ring Goes South
The Ring tempts you. Then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal X land cards, where X is the number of legendary creatures you control. Put those land cards onto the battlefield tapped and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Sorcery

Witch-king of Angmar
Flying
Whenever one or more creatures deal combat damage to you, each opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice that dealt combat damage to you this turn. The Ring tempts you.
Discard a card: Witch-king of Angmar gains indestructible until end of turn. Tap him.
Whenever one or more creatures deal combat damage to you, each opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice that dealt combat damage to you this turn. The Ring tempts you.
Discard a card: Witch-king of Angmar gains indestructible until end of turn. Tap him.
Legendary Creature - Wraith Noble

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Protection from Humans
Pay 1 life, Sacrifice another creature: Put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature and draw a card.
, Discard a card: Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Pay 1 life, Sacrifice another creature: Put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature and draw a card.
, Discard a card: Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric

Maybeboard
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Tokens & Extras
The Ring
Your Ring-bearer is legendary and can't be blocked by creatures with greater power.
Whenever your Ring-bearer attacks, draw a card, then discard a card.
Whenever your Ring-bearer becomes blocked by a creature, that creature's controller sacrifices it at end of combat.
Whenever your Ring-bearer deals combat damage to a player, each opponent loses 3 life.
Whenever your Ring-bearer attacks, draw a card, then discard a card.
Whenever your Ring-bearer becomes blocked by a creature, that creature's controller sacrifices it at end of combat.
Whenever your Ring-bearer deals combat damage to a player, each opponent loses 3 life.
Emblem


Tokens & Extras
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Deck Info
Deck stats
CategoriesQtyOdds
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Deck extras (0)
Description
{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Title Reference:"},{"insert":" \n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"The One That Got Away"},{"insert":" by Katy Perry\n\nThe engine of this deck runs incredibly well. You will vomit lands from yourself and your opponents into play. The deck has always been incredibly consistent at that. However, the first draft struggled to convert that early game velocity into a win. I felt inclined to rework the deck with stronger payoffs to prevent it from consistently stalling out after presenting itself as the threat. \n\nCoincidentally, graveyard decks are very complicated and give you many branching paths to consider. Predictably, this led to long turns. Combined we had a deck that grinded out long turns for a lot of value, stole people's lands, and couldn’t even get a win from said value easily.\n\nit was honestly kind of a nightmare. But I loved the backbone of the strategy and it showed a lot of promise. The sacrifice->lands engine was strong, it just needed better payoffs and ways to efficiently close out a game we're clearly in control of.\n\nAs such, I’m writing a primer to explicitly break down the central strategies as I tweak the deck.\n\nMain Themes:"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Landfall/Ramp"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The main payoff Smeagol offers is our opponent’s lands. Your graveyard and sacrifice shenanigans directly pay you off with lands. They accelerate your mana advantage and trigger our landfall abilities for all kinds of tangible advantages like token fodder and even more ramp. Lands are our bread and butter. You'll rarely be choked for mana and options.\n\nTokens/Aristocrats"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"I was originally turned away from this aspect of the deck. I thought that it would be cooler if the deck was focused on sacrificing and recurring my actual creatures. However, in doing so I neglected two key details:\nTokens make excellent fodder to sacrifice for other resources like mana and cards. Especially when your deck wants to see one of your own creatures die every single turn."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"A token army can win the game if left unanswered. I originally thought this method of victory might be boring and avoided it as such, but it's better than being unable to close out a game. Plus, it actually strengthens the diversity of play patterns in the deck by providing additional paths to victory via combat damage and aristocrat drain effects."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nGraveyard/Reanimation"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This is probably the axis of the deck that has remained the most intact from conception to the current build. The graveyard is really just like a second hand in Smeagol. You also have the agency to mill cards from whichever opponent you think might have the biggest bombs for you to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reanimate"}},{"insert":" . This is of course a double edged sword depending on how much they like to play around in their own graveyard. But the upsides are worth to risks.\n\nWho to Mill?"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"DO NOT FEED THE OPPOSING GRAVEYARD DECK. Sure they can probably also reanimate stuff out of opponents graveyards too. Plus getting more black mana for yourself is tempting, but their best threats will be in their own deck. Enabling them is not a good idea.\n\nOtherwise, you can prioritize the biggest, stompiest creature deck at the table and make their threats your own. Taking the green player's threats and value engines are great. I may not play a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beast Whisperer"}},{"insert":", but I'm more than happy to reanimate one to my side of the field.\n\nBlue mages can also provide some nice value creatures that draw cards. White and red mages on the other hand don't usually offer as rich of a selection of targets.\n\nCombos and Synergies"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sméagol, Helpful Guide"}},{"insert":" is essential to enable the unique combos in this deck. Turning any \"The Ring Tempts You\" effect into mill and lands has the potential for you to wind up with all of your opponents lands in play on your battlefield while their library is in their graveyard. They're fun, but be warned that they require four or more pieces to pull off.\n\nCombo #1:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sméagol, Helpful Guide"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dúnedain Rangers"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mole Man, Moloid Master"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Viscera Seer"}},{"insert":" \nSmeagol and Dunedain Rangers are essential, but Mole Man could be replaced with any token producer that triggers on landfall. Likewise Viscera Seer could be substituted with any freely repeatable sacrifice outlet.\nMake sure that you don't have a ring-bearer. All necessary combo pieces are on the board."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Play a land or crack a fetchland to trigger landfall."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Make the token first with Mole man and then let Dunedain Rangers' tempt trigger go off. Choose the token as your ring bearer."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Smeagol will trigger. Hold priority and sacrifice the token that is your ring bearer."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"One of your opponents will now mill and you'll get a land, resetting the state to step two."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This will repeat until you deck one of your opponents. However, unless the last card of their deck is a land you'll need another land drop or a fetchland to restart the combo. Alternatively you'll need to switch to a different opponent when one gets close to decking to maximize the mill and lands off your one guaranteed activation.\n\nCombo #2:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sméagol, Helpful Guide"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Springheart Nantuko"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nazgûl"}},{"insert":" + 2x"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lotus Cobra"}},{"insert":" effects\nSmeagol needs to be in play and Springheart Nantuko must be bestowed upon a Nazgul. Technically any ETB Tempt creature could work, but I don't see the point in running "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Uruk-hai Berserker"}},{"insert":" if I don't feel like I can justify a full playset of Nazgul. Lastly, you need a way to produce a green and a colorless for each landfall to feed into the Sringheart Nantuko. But even without it you can \"just\" get another Nazgul, some milled cards, and another stolen land for the price of rampant growth over and over again.\nHave Smeagol out, a Springheart Nantuko bestowed on a Naxgul, and two ways to produce mana on landfall."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Trigger landfall by playing a land or having the ring tempt you."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Produce two mana."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Pay for Springheart Nantuko's trigger to make a Nazgul copy."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The ring tempts you and we're back to step two."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"We have the same problem here as the first combo. Be careful when you get to the end of someone's deck. Make sure to kill the scariest opponent first and have other ways to manually restart the combo when necessary.\n\nSynergy #1:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Springheart Nantuko"}},{"insert":" + [[Almost any card in the deck]]\nSpringheart Nantuko is my favorite card in the deck bar none. The strategies it enables are crazy, and the floor is a 2 mana creature token generator. It can even dodge removal and boardwipes because of bestow and continue generating value afterwards. Below are some of my favorite creatures to bestow it on.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Icetill Explorer"}},{"insert":": Icetill gets out of hand very quickly. Making a copy of it lets you get another land you can play this turn which in turn pays for half of the Nantuko trigger. And the more Icetills you make the more you mill with each land drop which enables further land drops. You acutally have to be careful not to mill yourself out!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"If you've milled most of your deck and need something from the graveyard you can play the land side of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary"}},{"insert":" and then bounce it to hand with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Golgari Rot Farm"}},{"insert":"."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tireless Provisioner"}},{"insert":": Very quickly starts to pay for the trigger to make another one and from there you just start to bank insane amounts of treasure and eventually food to help with survivability."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"}]}





























































































































